Dry-dock.



WILLlZAM F. Henons'r, or sAn Linea, cAL ronnm. I

DRY-DOCK.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM F. Honons'r,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident .of'San Diego, in the county of San Diego and State of California, have invented a new and Improved Dry-Dock, of which the following is a description. 1 My 'nvention relates to dry docks and more particularly to floating dry docks in which a float or caisson is open under side, whereby the water may be displaced therefrom by air under pressure to float'the dock. 1

The general object of my invention is to provide a floating dock of the character having characteristics and advantages as will appear.-'

' :Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, it being understood that the drawings are merely illustrative of one example of the invention. I Figure 1 is a front view of a floating dry dock embodying my invention; V

. Fig. 2 is a partly sectional front view of a portion of one of the floatable sections;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section showinga portion of one of the partitions in the float sections, and a check valve therein; Y Fig. 3 is a partial planfview of'a dry dock embodying my invention,

Fig. 1 is an end view of one of thescctions and relatively fixed guide racks therefor;

In carrying out my invention in accord:

-'-ance-'with the illustrated example, piers 10 vertical are provided. Separate floatalcle sections 11 are disposed extending substantially from one pier to the other; In order that the sections 11 in rising'and falling may be con- 1 (Upon the lowering ofthe sections air will strained to have a parallel movement and be prevented from tilting in any direction, fixed racks 12 are provided at opposed sides of the piers 10 and a train of intermeshing gears 13 is provided on shafts 14, extending lengthwise of each section 11.

The various sections 11 comprising the float in practice are adapted to receive a ves sel A to be supported on keel blocks B and bilge blocks C in the usual manner, said blocks and vessel being conventionally indicated.

Specification of Letters Patent.

equally from formed with an indicated alike'and as shown in Fig. 2

Patented. Mar. 11; 1919.

' Application filed August 6, 1918. Serial No. 248,589.

partitions 15. *Airunder pressure. is supplied to the central compartmentsithrough an inlet 16 leading to one of said compartments and the 'part-ition15 between the two central compartments has an opening 17 therein near the top thereof for establishing communication between said central compartments so that water will bedisplaced the two compartments under the pressure of the air supplied through the inlet 16. Also, in those partitions 15 dividing the other compartments from one another and from the adjacent central compartments, ports 17 are provided near the lower edges of said partitions, so that upon a given displacement of Water from the central compartments should the buoyancy thus obtained be insufficient to lift the load, successive lateral compartments will automati-'- cally cut. in by air from the central compartments entering adjacent compartments through the ports17 automatic communication provided for through the ports 17, by-passes are provided between adjacent compartments through the medium of pipes 18 connecting with each of two compartments and manually controlled provided in the top of each compartment, ex

a cut-off valve 19.- Vent valves'20 are cept the centrallones, and similarly in the partitions 15 vent valves or air valves '21 are provided near the top except in the central partition. The valves 20 and 21 may be including a spring-pressed ball valve 22; Thus, with the rising of the'float section for example under the displacement of the {water in the central compartments of the section, a vacuum will be prevented in the other compartments,

by air entering through vent valves 20.

pass through the valves 21 to the central compartments and outward through the inlet 16 and to the atmosphere at any point in the pipe lines hereinafter referred to. The piers 10 are provided with preferably conical air-storage chambers 23 and passages 24 extending from the chambers through the top of the piers whereby the said chambers may be connected with the float sections 16 to receive air therefrom and as later explained in the lowering of the dock sections. To supply air under pressure any suitable Source of compressed air may be provided,

In addition to the there being indicated conventionally an air compressor from which a. manifold or pipe line 26 extends along a pier 10 and branches 27 extend from said manifoldto make connection" with the respective sections. Permanent pipe lines 29 may be provided on each section 11 adaptedto be connected with the branch 27 by a hose'28.

Each branch has a two-way va-lve'30 which may connect a branch 27 with the hose 28- or permit outflow to the atmosphere through a discharge 31 in permitting the air to escape from thersection 11. Also, suitable V meansi'sprovided to connect up an air passage 24 of a chamber 23, with thesections 11,

one' means for the purpose being indicated in Fig. 1 wherea branch pipe 32 connects a branch 27 to a valve 33 leading to a passage 24: said valve being adapted to connect a passage 3-1 with the branch 32 or discharge to the atmosphere. t The described construction provides for establishing communication between the several compartments of a section to supply air under pressure thereto as desired or required under given load conditions and the supply and equalization of the air is eflected 7 while employing a single air inlet which makes for simplicity of construction and facility inthe, operation and control of the dock.

An advantage of a dock as described above also is that the floatable sections may be completely submerged and the dock then be utilized for commercial docking purposes, it

being necessary only that there be suflicient claim as new, and desire to se gure' by Let h rs Patent; v V V 1. A dry dock including a fioa'table struc- 7 ture, partitions therein dividing the same into compartments, said structure being open at'the under side, means to direct .air pressure to the central compartments to displace the water therefrom, means to permit entrance of air to the compartments other than the. central compartments uponithe ris-V ing of the structure, and means adapted to permit air to escape from the compartments other than the central ones to lowering ofthe structure, a

2. 'A dry dock including a fiotatable structure open at the under side, partitions. di-:

viding said structure into compartments, and means to direct air under pressure to the central compartments-to displace the water therefrom, the partitions except that of the central ones having openingsnear the bottom to admit'air from the central. compartments upon. a predetermined displacement of thewater from said central compartments.

3. A' dry dock including a hollow pier forming an air chamber, a floatable'structure open at the under side, means to supply air under pressure to said structure, connections between said supply means and said the latter upon 7 structure to admit air to the latter forsdisplacin the water therefrom, and manually controlled means to establish connections between the supply means and said structure or between the hollow pier and said structure to direct air from said supply means to the structure or from said structure to the hollow pier and return the air from the pier to said structure. 7 1

4. A dry dock including a floatable structure open at the under side, vertical partitions dividing the structure into compartments, andv means for directing 'airunder pressure to thece-ntral compartmentsto displace the Water therefrom, said compartments communicating with the lateral comof the said compartments" for the purpose specified.v

WILLIAM F. HOHORST.

partments by means arranged below the tops.

' Copies of this-patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

